


The Final Game

by Tamasha



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Cheerleaders, Cute, Feels, Football, Gay, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Kissing, Love, M/M, Modern Era, Pre-Relationship, Prom, Romance, Small Towns, cheerleader!merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 19:37:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18350330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamasha/pseuds/Tamasha
Summary: No one on the football team wants to be paired up with the only male cheerleader, Merlin. In comes football Captain Arthur Pendragon to save the day.TRIGGER WARNING: homophobic language





	The Final Game

**Author's Note:**

> written by Tamara
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: homophobic language

In the gym, Merlin sat stretching out his legs, reaching past his toes as he looked up to see the football players coming in from the field towards the boy's locker room. One thing he liked about cheerleading was that he could participate in school spirit and not have to actually play a sport. They looked exhausted. Merlin loved dancing and even took gymnastics as a kid, but his favorite thing right now was to be on the cheer squad. It started as support for Freya and Gwen, because they said they'd be too nervous otherwise, but now that Merlin was part of the team, he absolutely loved it.

He watched as the football players emptied from the gym, one by one, into the locker room. There was Lance, Leon, Gwaine, Percy, Val, Cenred, Kay, Elyan, and last but not least, Arthur Pendragon. As the captain, he was the star of the team. His father was also mayor of the town so his Golden Boy, of course, was the football captain.

The cheerleader and the football captain. It was basically the start of every movie based in a small town with the typical high school romance set up. But this wasn't a romance. Of course, for starters, Arthur Pendragon wasn't gay. If he was gay he would not be the captain of the football team, he wouldn't have all the friends he had, and he certainly would not be the Golden Boy of the town.

Merlin, however, was out and proud; his mom wouldn't have it any other way, but other people in the town did not see it quite the same. See, this was a small town and people were not as open-minded as they were in the big city. It's safe to say that Camelot was in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming, and the only people who are out are Merlin and the drag queen prostitute who has a reputation for being on drugs and only servicing those passing through town, because anyone local caught red-handed with her obviously would be outcasted as well. She wasn't exactly the healthiest role model.

As for Merlin, he was still in high school, so he was probably  _ just going through a phase _ , and he would grow out of it with lots of thoughts and prayers. Merlin knew this was all bullshit, of course, but he played the part of the good church-going boy, and ignored the comments by the other students and townspeople. All he wanted to do was graduate and get the hell out of this place. He would go somewhere where no one would care, where he could just be with someone who would actually love him for who he was. For now, he was Merlin Emrys, the only male cheerleader and the only “Out” boy in school.

“Merlin!” Gwen squealed from the other side of the gym. “Go get changed, Freya is taking us bowling!”

Ah. This was probably the worst part of the day. The boys locker room. Since he was gay, that meant he was attracted to every guy in school, and also a complete perv who watched the other students change. Legally, the school couldn't do anything about it, but they had made sure there was a changing stall just for Merlin so that he couldn't look at the others. In all honesty, Merlin was glad of it, he didn't want to give anyone more reasons to bully him. So in the locker room, he kept to himself.

The boys’ laughter quickly died down as soon as the door shut behind Merlin. All eyes watched him as he walked to his locker. Val cleared his throat. “Looking a little parched there Emrys, need some water?” He sprayed a bit of his water bottle towards Merlin and all the boys laughed. Merlin mock laughed and went back to turning the dial on his locker.

“You looked like a baby deer today, Merlin. What gives?” Arthur teased, nudging Merlin's shoulder, as he came to his side.

Merlin rolled his eyes, “I was tired, okay. We ran the mile in P.E. today.”

The other boys laughed, and Arthur laughed with them. Merlin smiled, though, knowing this was innocent fun. Arthur was in his calculus class - something he'd hate to bring up to the team - and he and Merlin made fun of each other all period. Arthur was mostly innocent, because Merlin could see the good in him deep down and that he didn't mean it. For all the jokes Arthur told, there were equally kind moments too. He was a good person. Something Merlin couldn't quite say for the rest of the team.

“Ha! The fag can't even run a mile!?” Cenred blurted out.

There were a few chuckles, some more nervous than others, but what sent the room into silence was the harsh, “what!?” that came seething from Arthur. “What the fuck did you just say? And don't you dare repeat it, because if I hear that word come from your mouth again, you'll be off this team so fast your head will spin.”

The room stayed silent. If someone dropped a pin, it would be heard across the room. 

Merlin broke the silence by shuffling away to his private changing stall. Before he turned around, though, he caught Arthur's eye. The other boy looked concerned, angry, and maybe a little uncomfortable. Merlin just went into his makeshift changing room and tried to ignore the chatter that started up again.

He thought, too late, about thanking Arthur for what he said, but when he emerged again, all the football players were gone. He went back to his locker to put his cheer stuff away, and there was a post-it on his locker. “Sorry about them. -A” Merlin smiled to himself, pocketing the note. He will definitely thank Arthur tomorrow.

  
  


At the end of every football season, each cheerleader was paired up with a football player to give him secret presents each day of the week as a thank you for their commitment to the team. The players then would guess which cheerleader they were paired with and get the cheerleader a gift in return on the last game of the season. It was a tradition that had been going on for years, and usually went without a hitch. But this year, apparently, there was conflict because a lot of the team was worried they would get paired with Merlin.

Merlin heard comments such as, “I don't want a boy giving me presents this is supposed to be a cute thing for girls.” And other comments like, “What is he doing participating in this anyway?”

Merlin tried to ignore them, and he told himself it didn't bother him. Because it didn't.

But, truthfully, it did. He wanted to be part of the tradition, and he wanted to be a part of the spirit of the week, but it was becoming more difficult to feel proud of his school when they didn't accept him the way he was.

Merlin was sitting outside of the boy's locker room, tying his shoes, when Arthur came over and dropped down beside him. He looked tired, more tired than a high school senior should be. The boy took on a lot of AP classes, was captain of the football team, and student body president to top it. He never had time to rest, it seemed. But here he was, sitting next to Merlin as the silence grew between them.

Merlin looked at him and said, “What do you want?”

Arthur looked at him and said, “Nothing.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Okay then why are you sitting here?”

The football player chuckled, running a hand through his hair nervously. “Look, I know you know what's been said about the secret gift exchange. First and foremost, I wanted to apologize on behalf of all of them, because it's really fucked up what they are saying. I'm truly sorry, Merlin. And… to add to that… I don't want you to feel like I'm doing this out of pity, because I'm not, but I want you to be paired with me.” He sighed heavily like that was hard to say. “I know half of the fun is that it's supposed to be a surprise and we get to guess who is giving us the gifts, but I'd like to be paired with you. I also would really like to show those assholes that there's nothing wrong with  _ being _ paired with you.”

As Merlin watched Arthur speak, his eyes grew wider with every sentence. “Really?” he asked, astonished.

“Yes really, idiot. I wouldn't lie about that!” the captain retorted. “I really wanted to be paired with you anyway, if I'm being completely honest. You're the only one on the cheerleading team who understands my sense of humor, anyway. Those girls would  _ not _ know what to get me.

Merlin laughed, he couldn't help himself. “Alright, if it's for you, then I guess I'll do it.”

Arthur smiled and then he looked at him, he really looked at him. Those blue eyes seemed to be coming closer and closer, and Merlin couldn't pull away.

Arthur broke the gaze first, looking across the gym. Sighing, he said, in a quiet voice, “Merlin I'm really sorry about everything. They always say it gets better as we get older, but that doesn't make up for this shit you're going through now.”

“It’s not your fault,” Merlin whispered. No one had ever apologized for it before, though. His mom would yell back, and Arthur did too just the other day, but no one seemed to check on Merlin afterwards. It was a first, and Merlin allowed a very small smile to reach his lips.

Then, Arthur looked back at him, swallowing hard. “I know it's not my fault, but I still feel responsible. I feel like I want to protect you from all of the shit you hear, because you're the last person at this school to deserve it. But I know I can't.”

Merlin made a face. “Why would you need to  _ protect _ me?” he asked incredulously.

Arthur's eyes grow big. “No. I didn't mean it like that, I just, well... I just meant…”

Merlin laughed. “It's okay. It’s okay. I get it, I think. I'm only teasing you.”

Arthur stared at him again this time it seemed like there was pity in his eyes. Merlin felt bad about that. Not because there was pity there, but because there was nothing he could do about it; Arthur seemed more bothered by this than Merlin himself at this point.

With a sigh, Merlin stood up, brushing off his pants, then Arthur stood with him, catching Merlin’s wrist in his hand to stop him from leaving.

“One more thing I wanted to tell you…” Arthur said earnestly. Before Merlin could ask what, Arthur's lips pressed to his. “Don't let anyone tell you there is something wrong with you,” he whispered as he pulled away.

Then Arthur immediately ran out of the gym, and Merlin stood there with eyes as big as saucers. Gingerly, he brought his fingers to his lips and smiled, for the first time, in a long time, believing that maybe things  _ would _ get better.

 

After the final game of the season, Arthur Pendragon, the Golden Boy of the town, Student Body President, Captain of the football team, son of the mayor, gave Merlin his final gift of the gift exchange. It was in the locker room, where all could see, he had a giant poster that read:  _ Will you go to prom with me? _

Of course Merlin had to say yes. How could he say no?

He felt like the luckiest boy in town.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a true story my co-worker told from her high school.


End file.
